With Khabib Nurmagomedov joining Islam Makhachev’s camp for the title fight against Dustin Poirier, the odds are firmly swinging in the champ’s favor. But Islam’s not the only one grateful for the presence of the undefeated Dagestani.
Former LW champion Frankie Edgar was recently seen with Nurmagomedov, training with his sons alongside the Dagestani fighters. Showering praise, and expressing his delight, Edgar took things to Instagram and shared a thread along with a note of appreciation for the ‘The Eagle’.
“…what an amazing experience for my boys, being around greatness like this is priceless. All these guys are nothing but class and have been so gracious to me and my family feeling very blessed and fortunate to live this life.”
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As it turns out the 42-year-old is taking retirement well by spending some quality time with his family. In fact, he took both his sons, Francesco and Santino down on a character-building course with the Dagestani camp.
Edgar’s boys have been sharing some time on the mats with Khabib, former Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, PFL MW champ, Louis Talyor, and #1 UFC Welterweight contender Belal Muhammad.
The Edgar boys had a grueling and rewarding workout session with Nurmagomedov as they were seen smiling ear to ear. While Edgar was there to train and get his sons accustomed to the fighter lifestyle, ‘The Eagle’ had a different objective altogether.
As mentioned before, he is in the US to help prepare Islam Makhachev for his title defense against Dustin Poirier. It also can’t hurt that a day before his arrival Dana White announced Khabib’s friend Belal Muhammad vs Leon Edwards for the welterweight title bout in Manchester at UFC 304.
Khabib Nurmagomedov helps Islam prepare for his toughest challenge yet
With days drawing close for Makhachev’s title defense against Poirier, Nurmagomedov’s presence is bound to provide the champion with some vital insights. ‘The Eagle’ has been in the octagon with the Louisiana native and knows that the Louisiana native was the closest to upsetting his undefeated streak.
While Makhachev is taking notes from the former champion, #1 welterweight contender Belal Muhammad is also making the most of the opportunity. Muhammad who is scheduled to face Leon Edwards is also honing his skills under the watchful eyes of Nurmagomedov.
Belal Muhammad has a very similar style of fighting as Khabib but is going against a striker who headkicked former P4P world #1 Kamaru Usman into oblivion to win the title. Khabib, himself has fought against countless strikers during his time at the UFC and could be key to Muhammad’s chances.
Now, with both the fighters steadied on the task, zeroing in on their opponents, the fandom is certain to get an epic showdown when the bell rings on June 1 and July 28.
